Adventure

Criteria for Quality Selection
Adventure texts have an unusual or exciting event that occurs that leaves the reader wanting to read more. The characters in the text make risky decisions that make the reader want to continue reading. The most important criterion to consider when selecting a text is the organization of the text. Adventure texts need to be set up in a way that they are easy for students to read and understand. The second criterion I would consider appropriateness for students. Adventure texts can get graphic and sometimes may not be appropriate to be read in the classroom.

Use in the Classroom
I would incorporate this text into my classroom when we are learning about high risk situations in the classroom. Exposing students to this genre will expose them to all the different kinds of unusual events that they would never think would occur. I will use adventure texts in my classroom for shared reading and read aloud. I will also have a wide variety of these text available in my classroom library for students to refer to on their own time.

Award Links:
http://stopyourekillingme.com/Awards/
http://www.theedgars.com

Text and Author Links:
http://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/23384/gary-paulsen
http://sidfleischman.com

General Genre Links:
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0404/adventure_books.html
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2009/06/02/the-essential-man’s-library-adventure-edition-part-one-fiction/
http://www.scholastic.com/ups/booklists/51129882e4b09a551f374b88#cart/cleanup

Teaching Ideas for Students:
http://kaitlyngoralportfolio.weebly.com/adventure-genre.html
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/genre-study-collaborative-approach-270.html?tab=3

Hatchet 
Paulsen, G. (1987). Hatchet. New York: Bradbury Press.

Reference Information for Accessing the Text:
ISBN: 1416936475

Complex Text Level:
6th & 7th grade

Grade Level Span Reading Aloud:
7th & 8th grade

Major Themes:

• Survival 
• Determination
• Courage

Worthy Qualities of Writing:

• Received the the Newberry Honor
• Teaches students the importance of never giving up
• Details make you want to continue reading 

Connections to Authentic Local, National, and Global Issues:

• Trying to survive in life or death situations
• Learning to continue with life even when you lose a loved one

Difficulties for Students:

• Violence 
• Some of the vocabulary that is used 

Support Needed:

• Read ahead and tell students when violent scenes are coming so students are prepared
• Pre-teaching of what it is like to live in the wilderness and all the obstacles they may face

The Whipping Boy
Fleischman, S., & S, P. (1986). The whipping boy. New York: Greenwillow Books.

Reference Information for Accessing the Text:
ISBN: 0060521228

Complex Text Level:
4th & 5th grade

Grade Level Span Reading Aloud:
3rd & 4th grade

Major Themes:

• Friendship
• Royalty 
• Power

Worthy Qualities of Writing:

• The description gives students insight of how the whipping boy was feeling throughout the text
• The use of words makes the text easy to understand

Connections to Authentic Local, National, and Global Issues:

• Poor being forced to do jobs they don't want to do
• People having power over the poor

Difficulties for Students:

• Understanding what it means to be the whipping boy
• The language may be hard for students to follow

Support Needed:

• Summarize or paraphrase the violent scenes for students who do not feel comfortable reading about them. 
• Pre-teaching of the time period in which this book was written